Although Hyun Bin is a well-loved heartthrob in South Korea, the 37-year-old actor actually falls far below North Korea's standards, according to a North Korean defector.

The reason? Hyub Bin doesn't have a pot belly.

The South Korean actor plays North Korean Captain Ri Jeong Hyeok in the hit Korean drama Crash Landing on You, in which his character falls for a South Korean heiress played by Son Ye-jin.

"For North Korean men, having a big frame is associated with beauty. People who are skinny like me are treated worse than dogs. It's a bit suspicious that a North Korean would say Hyun Bin is handsome," North Korean defector Park Yoo Sung said in a video posted on his North Korean Man YouTube channel late last month.

Park explained that large bellies are a sign of affluence, which is why men with a bigger belly often command more respect and receive more admiration.

He said another South Korean actor, the burly Ma Dong-seok, 49, would be a more accurate example of an attractive man in the North. Ma, who used to be a physical trainer in mixed martial arts, is known for his role as tough-guy Sang-Hwa in 2016 zombie movie Train to Busan.

Unsurprisingly, Park's comments have been a jaw-dropping revelation to some, and have led to some humorous responses online. One netizen said: "I guess I would be royalty in North Korean then." Another wrote: "Imagine if Hyun Bin was replaced with Ma Dong Seok in Crash Landing On You."

The Straits Times

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